Term 2, 2026 Course B
June 25: Richard Gardiner will introduce us to “Architectural model making at Scaled Down”
Richard builds miniature houses and buildings from photographs or architectural plans. He has completed 160 models and is currently working on a model of McLean’s Mansion.
This presentation will outline the setting up of Scaled Down – an architectural model making practice that began in 2011. Richard will discuss the close association his work has with his experiences in art education and he’ll take us through the process of how the models are made. We’ll look at a number of finished works – both on the screen and some actual models borrowed from clients. The talk will close with a few reflections and observations about various types of models, local architecture and how it affects our lives.
July 2: Dr Simon Pollard will discuss “Christchurch Ghosts: Shaken but not Stirred”
Dr Pollard is a spider biologist, science writer and Adjunct Professor of Science Communications at the University of Canterbury. He is interested in how cemeteries remind us of our biology and mortality.
Dr Pollard will look at memorial art and the impact of the Christchurch earthquakes on our historic cemeteries.
July 9: Andris Apse, landscape photographer, will present “New Zealand (Deep South) and the Sub-Antarctic Islands.”
Andris Apse is one of New Zealand’s most highly regarded landscape photographers and is acknowledged as one of the finest wilderness photographers in the world. During a landscape photography career of more than 40 years he has earned an impressive list of New Zealand and international awards. In 2010, he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for his work and he has published a dozen or more sumptuous photographic books.
Andris will describe his photographic techniques, show some of the wildlife of the Sub-Antarctic Islands and speak of his experiences on the Islands.
July 16: Andrea Webley, Fundraising and Development Manager, Canterbury Museum, will discuss “Canterbury Museum – Past, Present and Future.”
Andrea completed her degree in commerce at the University of Canterbury and joined the Museum team in 2024. Her role is primarily to raise funds for the redevelopment project but also to raise awareness and look for opportunities to engage the community in the project.
This will be an illustrated talk about the museum’s major redevelopment of its Rolleston Avenue site. Andrea will discuss the evolution of the museum’s building complex over the last 150 plus years, the reasons behind the need for the redevelopment, and the massive project to move the collection and staff to offsite storage and offices while running an open museum. The talk will conclude with some sneak peeks at what the new museum will look like when it reopens in 2029.
July 23: Bridget Allen, Director of "The Green Lab”, will speak on “Greening the garden city: Ensuring the wellbeing of Ōtautahi ecosystems through environmental community action”
The Green Lab is a grassroots organisation based in Ōtautahi focused on creating ecosystems within Christchurch that enhance social wellbeing. Bridget has a contemporary art background, with a Bachelor’s in Fine Art, majoring in sculpture, from Canterbury University in 2002. Her practice as a multi-media environmental artist led her to researching various forms of green sculpture, horticulture, landscape design, community development projects, and conservation efforts. She also trained as a landscape architect at Lincoln University.